Irish Air Corps

Air Corps
An tAerchór
Badge of the Air Corps
Founded1924; 100 years ago (1924)
Country Ireland
AllegianceIreland
TypeAir force
RoleAerial warfare
Size711 active personnel (Establishment: 866) (April 2023)[1]
23 aircraft (+ 3 aircraft in support of the Garda Síochána)
Part ofIrish Defence Forces
HeadquartersCasement Aerodrome, Baldonnel
Motto(s)Irish: Forḟaire agus Tairiseaċt
"Watchful and Loyal"
Engagementssee list of wars
WebsiteAir Corps – Defence Forces
Commanders
General Officer CommandingBrigadier General Rory O'Connor[2]
Insignia
Roundel
Fin flash
Colours
Aircraft flown
HelicopterAW139, EC 135P2/T2
PatrolAirbus C295
ReconnaissancePilatus PC-12, Britten-Norman Defender
TrainerPC-9M
TransportLearjet 45

The Air Corps (Irish: An tAerchór) is the air force of Ireland. Organisationally a military branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland, the Air Corps utilises a fleet of fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft to carry out a variety of duties in conjunction with the Irish Army, Irish Naval Service and Garda Síochána. The headquarters of the Air Corps is located at the Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, Dublin. The Air Corps has an active establishment of 886 personnel. Like other components of the Defence Forces, it has struggled to maintain strength and as of April 2023 has only 711 active personnel.[1] Unlike the Army or the Naval Service, the Air Corps does not maintain a reserve component.[a]

  1. ^ a b "Defence Forces Strength (Dáil Éireann Debate – Tuesday, 13 June 2023)". Dáil Éireann Hansard. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023. The established strength and current strength of the Defence Forces as at 30 April 2023 is [..] Army 7,520 .. 6,322 [..] Air Corps 886 .. 711 [..] Naval Service 1,094 .. 764 [..] Army Reserve 3,869 .. 1,382 [..] Naval Service Reserve 200 .. 77 [..] First Line Reserve N/A .. 275
  2. ^ "General Officer Commanding (GOC) Air Corps". Defence Forces Ireland. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.


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